The Dance
by ashangel101010
Summary: Sequel to "The Garden" but set before "The Pyramid." When Rama is five, he dances for his father.


The Dance

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Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Royal Dance by Sigmund Krähe

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Rama Pestage has been taking dancing lessons for nearly a year now. It is only natural that he wants to show his father how far he has progressed under Mistress Jade's tutelage.

It is also only natural for Sate Pestage to turn the living room into a makeshift stage for his son's first performance.

He stores the homogoni coffee table and the wrodian rug in the coat closet. He sets the holocam up right in time for Rama's entrance.

His little dancer has on his white shirt, black tights, and black ballet slippers that he wears for his dance lessons. However, there are two additions that nearly cause Sate to squeal.

The first is the black cape that his son is wearing. His son has it whipping around him like there's a magic gust of wind in the living room.

 _I bet Vader taught him that trick when he gave Rama that cape for his life day!_

The second is Heartless wrapped around his son's small arms. The deformed, rabbit-looking shadow creature's yellow eyes almost glow with life.

 _With the cape and Heartless, Rama looks almost like a little wizard! Just needs a top hat, but he would probably tell me that they're not in season._ Sate knows that there's no way the Naboo in his son can ever be repressed because the Emperor is the same way.

"Is Heartless going to be your assistant?" He teases lightly, while Rama smiles back with his thin lips.

"No, Heartless will be my dance partner." _Huh, I didn't know he's advanced far enough for that. Then again, Rama is a prodigy!_ Another trait Sate is certain that Rama inherited from the Emperor.

"I see! So is there a particular song that you wish to dance to?" Rama gestures with his right hand at the music player. Sate heads over to the music player and taps it on. He sees already that Rama has composed several playlists, but only one that needs to be played: _First Performance for Father_.

 _He even put a little countdown for me to get back to the holocam!_ Sate inwardly gushes at his son's thoughtfulness and foresight. Right as he sits down on the lavender couch is when the first cords of the organ plays.

 _The candles burn with flickering shadows. Shiraya's moon brings in the tide of light to illuminate the golden ballroom. The Naboos wear masks, golden, crimson, azure, but no white. They look to the grand staircase where Shiraya's light shines brightest._

 _Sate lurks in the shadows, away from the masked Naboos. His dark eyes see him just as he steps in the light._

 _Sheev Palpatine, the Chancellor of the Republic, arrives and steals the breaths of the Naboo. He's cloaked in the deep night with a train of stars trailing forlornly. His high collar and long sleeves show only his kind face and spidery hands on display. His silvering copper hair waves at his thin shoulder blades; he grew out his hair for just this occasion. Just for her._

 _Padmé Amidala, the Queen of Naboo, follows and brings out the tears of the Naboo. She's laced in a crimson dress with mournful black sleeves. Her dark collar fans behind her like stunted peacock feathers. Her face is caked in white paint with only two sources of color: two pricks of red for her cheeks and the red dividing line of the scar of remembrance. Her hazel curls have been sculpted up and centered with Shiraya's crest._

 _He cannot help but think glumly how she looks like a suitable bride for a Sith Lord._

Rama takes the misshapen fingers of Heartless, like it was offering its hand to him, and pulls the doll towards him.

 _They spin together, blearing their identities. But Sate, with his assassin training, can make out thin lips whispering into her ear. She smiles as one of her white thumbnails dig into his cloak to stop herself from laughing aloud._

Rama's thin lips curl upwards at Heartless's natural unresponsiveness.

 _Palpatine's smile robs him of his breath. Like always. But it's not for him. Like always. And his heart aches. Like always._

Rama weaves as though he's acquiescing to the demands of Heartless.

 _Yet, Palpatine dips the Queen down, and with a feint of submission, he bends down with her. Until they are heart to heart._

 _They part, and the organ screams its finale._

Heartless does not beg with its eyes for Rama stay with them, and Rama does not flutter his white eyelashes like he's considering it. No, Rama has a pure smile on his face and looking at his father for approval.

Sate claps vigorously.

"Did you like my dance, father?" _It was like two knives in the heart._ Sate smiles with his eyes shut, willing his pain away.

"Of course! Did Mistress Jade teach you that?" _Amidala's final dance as Queen of Naboo was quite popular on the HoloNet and gained resurgence after her death._ But his heart twists subconsciously.

"No!" His son proudly exclaims. "I saw it in a dream, and you were there."

"What?" His heart leaps into his throat.

"Sire was dancing with this lady in a sea of masks. And you were there watching them in the darkness. You looked so sad, father. Did you and sire have a fight?" Rama cuddles up Heartless to his chest with watery green eyes.

"No, no, sweetie! I was just—" He wracks his brain for a good white lie. "Sad that I didn't get to dance with him because I can't dance."

 _Partially true. I only know the very basics of the two-step, and it's not like I even wanted to dance with someone. Until I met Palpatine._

"Then, I can teach you! That way no dolled up hussy takes what's rightfully yours!" _He sounds so furiously cold like ice and fire; he must've picked up the fire from Vader. But the "hussy" doesn't seem to be part of Vader's lexicon. I bet he learned it from Kinman! But he didn't use "whore," so I won't need to stab Kinman._

"I would be honored to learn from you." He then gives his son a kiss on his nose. And his son returns in kind.

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 **Author's Comments-** Here are the links:

Here is the link to the organ music that the "pairings" dance to. I chose it because I didn't want to go for something classical and I know organ music is traditionally associated with villains and funerals. But I feel like the organ is a fitting, dramatic instrument for the Naboo in question. Also, it does something like Empress Amidala and Emperor Palpatine would dance to: a href=" watch?v=Z6vuk9Rjlqs"Link/a

Here is an image of Princess Irulan's gown from David Lynch's _Dune_ , which inspired Padmé's outfit in the flashbacks. I was going to use a certain concept art from RoTS, but I didn't think it would fit for exiting Queen Amidala: a href=" . "Link/a

Here is an image of Kirsten Dunst's Marie Antoinette from Sophia Coppola's _Marie Antoinette_. I considered using Princess Irulan's, aka Virginia Marsden's version of her, hair from the image above, but I don't think it would work well on Padmé. So I decided to use the tame powdered wig style from the aforementioned movie: a href=" "Link/a

Two, there always are. And looks like Rama has found his Dance Apprentice! Well, Sate isn't particularly talented, but he will learn beyond his two steps! And the final dance stuff on Naboo is something I made up, but I think is quite fitting considering how…..dramatic the Naboo can be. But poor Sate! Watching your unrequited love dancing with a woman that has hots for him must hurt. Even after like 5000th time. It also explains his bitchiness to Padmé in James Luceno's _Labyrinth of Evil_. I know he was annoyed with all the senators wanting to see Palpatine, but I'd like to believe Padmé there just soured his mood even more.

But Rama is the eternal Sapatine (which I'm certain that Darth_Videtur came up with it in our RP sessions) shipper and will not let some other ship sink his! Even though, Palpatine/Padmé is one of my favorite pairings…

I don't really have any one-shots in the pipeline. I still need to finish _The Emperor's Son_ , but I think I'll finally get to write that multi-chapter fic on Maul for this series. Force willing.


End file.
